The defeat at Caporetto in 1917 forced the British to send troops to the Italian front, where some remained for the rest of the war. June 1918 found British troops on the Asiago Plateau, 40 miles north of Venice. British positions were at 3,000 feet elevation, flanked by mountains twice as high. Their Austrian opponents had one last chance for victory. The beloved Emperor Franz Joseph had died after a 68 year reign and the loyalty of Austria's multi-ethnic army to the new and untried Emperor Karl could not be guaranteed. The British positions were struck on the morning of June 15 by five Austro-Hungarian divisions, not as formidable as the Germans but containing many competent light infantry and mountain troops. Although the issue was in doubt, the British held onto their wooded and fog-shrouded positions. The Austro-Hungarian Empire dissolved by year;s end, creating the unstable Eastern Europe and Balkans of modern times. This little-known but dramatic battle above the clouds is covered in the detailed then-and-now fashion made famous by the Battleground Europe series and will be the first of several volumes covering the Italian front.

Asiago: Italy (Battleground Europe)

History

Mackay, Francis

Military

Leo Cooper

The guide describes the ground and operations covered by the British, French and US Expeditionary Forces deployed from France to the area North of Venice between November 1917 and Spring 1919. These Forces supported the Italians after their disastrous defeat at Caporetto and helped stem the Austrian and German onslaught. This is the first guide to the Allied contribution and the Piave Defence line. It also covers the rear areas - supply and repair services, training and recreation, and describes the movement to Italy and subsequent service and care of the 16,000 British and 20,000 French horses and mules. The US contribution has never been adequately described before.

Touring the Italian Front 1917 - 1919 (Battleground Europe)

Pen and Sword Military

The book describes the problems of instigating resistance in France and the slow development of the clandestine warfare and special operation forces, equipment, training, delivery, communication, command, control and intelligence techniques. It covers the wide variety of organizations involved including OSS, SAS, US Operational Groups, Polish 'Bardsea' teams, Jedburgh and Sussex teams, Inter-Allied Missions, MI9, Evasion and Escape Groups, Special duties/Carpet Bagger Air Delivery Squadron, The Secret Flotillas and Radio security and surveillance services. The book starts at close of Operation Dynamo and ends with Operation Titanic, the SAS deception ploys and the last of the pre-invasion activities.

Overture to Overlord - The Preparations of D-Day: North West Europe (Special Operations World War Two)

This is the story of the SAS raid on Pebble Island during the Falklands War. In atrocious weather, 48 men of 22 SAS Regiment were landed by Sea King Helicopter on the Island. Their task was to destroy the 11 enemy aircraft located at the Airstrip on the Island and neutralize the Argentinean force posted there to guard it. The raid was successful and all the Aircraft were destroyed but debate still goes on as to whether the raid was a political gesture to give the British Public some action or whether it was to knock out the Airbase that could have made life difficult for the landings at San Carlos Bay later in the War. The book covers sections on: history of the engagement, training and planning involved, equipment used, weapons file, breakdown of forces engaged, consequences and controversies as well as personal accounts of those involved.

Pebble Island: The Falklands War 1982 (Elite Forces Operations Series)

Cooksey, Jon

Americas

A prewar Sapper, Charlie Radford served in North Africa until he returned to the UK for parachute training. He volunteered and joined 2 SAS in Scotland. His first operation was in France (Op RUPERT) cutting railway lines, and he then took park in Operation LOYTON, now in armed jeeps. His next assignment (Operation ZOMBIE) involved parachuting into the Italian Dolomites to disrupt the vital German link north of Verona between Italy and Austria.This operation ended in failure due to foolhardy leadership, inadequate manning and poor preparation. His OC was captured, tortured and executed but Charlie escaped to live with the partisans before being repatriated to the UK. After the war he returned to France to help with the exhumation and reburial of SAS men executed in the Vosges mountains. Postwar he served in Kenya and Somaliland and briefly recounts his experiences.

SAS Trooper: Charlie Radford’s Operations in Enemy-Occupied France and Italy

Biographies & Memoirs

Historical